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Remember that medical marijuana food truck that hit up the Lakers parade a few years ago? Well, they aren't the only ones tapping into the gourmet edibles trend. The world's first pot vending machine is on its way. It's called the Zazzz, and is manufactured by a company based out of Colorado called American Green, which is owned by Tranzbyte.
The first Zazzz will be installed outside a medical marijuana dispensary called Herbal Elements in Eagle Veil. And the company has hopes of expanding to other cites with medical marijuana markets like Los Angeles.
Don't worry, Honey Boo Boo wouldn't be able to stick her head inside. The machine is meant only for medical card holders, and the creators will be using biometrics to confirm their ID. Users with a medical marijuana card will swipe their driver’s licenses to identify themselves. It's also climate controlled to ensure freshness of the 20 or so items inside, which include pot-infused treats.
The creators at American Green believe that their new-fangled machine will help dispensaries track inventory, eliminating the possibility of theft by employees and patients, says Time Magazine.
"The idea is that we are a technology company and we looked at how to apply some of the technology we have to an industry that might be growing up and could use that sort of thing," said Tranzbyte chief operating officer Stephen Shearin told the L.A. Times. "Grocery stores have a speedy checkout, and why should a dispensary be any different?"
This isn't the first time someone has tried to automate pot via a vending machine. Both Arizona's Endexx and California's Medbox have been introduced, but those companies' products are kept behind stores' counters.
Shearin hopes that they'll have Zazz installed in locations in California within a few months.
